Penguins vs. Predators, Game 60: Lines. Notes & How to Watch

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Pittsburgh Penguins can’t afford to look past their next game.

The Nashville Predators already are looking to next season.

While the Penguins, who will face the Predators tonight at 8:08 Eastern at Bridgestone Arena, are in a multi-team cage match for a wild-card playoff berth, Nashville appears to be resigned to sitting out the postseason.

Sunday night, the Predators auctioned off rugged winger Tanner Jeannot to Tampa Bay and made it known that former coach Barry Trotz will replace David Poile as GM this summer.

A day earlier, Nashville sent forward Nino Neiderreiter, its No. 5 scorer, to Winnipeg and Poile reportedly is at least listening to offers for defenseman Mattias Ekholm.

One thing the teams do have in common is that both are coming off lopsided victories Sunday. The Penguins defeated Tampa Bay, 7-3, at PPG Paints Arena, while Nashville was a 6-2 winner at Arizona.

Although the Predators seem to be focused mostly on their future, they do pose a clear threat to the Penguins’ modest two-game winning streak, which matches their longest since they ran off seven consecutive Dec. 1-15.

Nashville’s victory over the Coyotes was its third in a row and fourth in five games, and the Predators are 9-3 against Metropolitan Division opponents.

The Penguins, meanwhile, are 6-2-1 in their past nine visits to Bridgestone Arena, where they clinched their most recent Stanley Cup in 2017.

Tonight’s game will be the first between the Penguins and Nashville in 2022-23. The teams will complete their season series March 30 at PPG Paints Arena.

Expected Pittsburgh Penguins Lines

Guentzel-Crosby-Rakell

Zucker-Malkin-Rust

McGinn-Carter-Heinen

O’Connor-Blueger-Archibald

Defense

Dumoulin-Letang

Pettersson-Petry

Joseph-Rutta

Goalie

Jarry

Expected Nashville Predators Lines

Granlund-Novak-Duchene

Sanford-Glass-Tomasino

Smith-Sissons-Trenin

????-Jankowski-Evangelista

Defense

McDonagh-Josi

Ekholm-Carrier

Lauzon-Febbro

Goalies

Saros

Lankinen

Special Teams

Penguins power play: 44 for 203, 21.7%, 13th

Penguins penalty-kill: 38 for 189, 79.9%, 15th

Predators power play: 34 for 182, 18.7%, 25th

Predators penalty-kill: 38 for 197, 80.7%, 14th

Pittsburgh Penguins Game Notes

The last 11 times Evgeni Malkin has recorded a point in a game, he’s finished with two or more.

Kris Letang has five goals and six assists in 12 games since returning from his extended absence.

Sidney Crosby’s two-point game against Tampa Bay Sunday was his 20th multi-point game of the season and his 441st in the NHL, most of any active player. Malkin is third on that list, with 327.

Bryan Rust has five goals on 22 shots in 11 career games against Nashville.

Filip Forsberg, who has been injured but is Nashville’s No. 3 scorer, does not have a goal in 15 career games against the Penguins.

The Predators are 3-1 in shootouts, while the Penguins are 1-1.

Predators forward Matt Duchene has 12 goals and 16 assists in his past 29 games.

Nashville’s Roman Josi, who is one of the NHL’s elite defensemen, has a five-game points streak, with four goals and five assists during that span.

How to Watch

TV: AT&T SportsNet

Radio: 105.9 the X